News

Microsoft Enhances AI Capabilities In Windows 11 Update

The update isn’t a game changer, but is useful for Copilot fans.

Published

2 years ago

March 2, 2024

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

After introducing Copilot Pro at the beginning of the year, Microsoft has added a series of enhancements to bolster its AI assistant’s functionality in Windows 11. A notable new addition is the integration of plugins, a feature previously exclusive to the web version of Copilot.

Users can now seamlessly connect Copilot with various services like OpenTable and Instacart, allowing them to book restaurant reservations and do grocery shopping directly within the chat interface. Additional plugins from Kayak, Klarna, and Shopify are slated for release in the coming month, underscoring Microsoft’s aim to optimize usability within the Copilot environment.

In addition, Microsoft is streamlining access to system settings by enabling users to perform tasks like toggling battery saver mode, and managing hardware profiles directly from inside of the AI chat interface. Copilot can also execute commands to activate accessibility features such as Live Captions, Narrator, and Screen Magnifier, as well as display available Wi-Fi networks. This enhanced integration should improve the user experience by eliminating the need to navigate through the Settings app.

Furthermore, Microsoft is enhancing AI capabilities in select Windows 11 apps such as Photos and Clipchamp. Photos now features a Generative Erase function for removing unwanted elements from images, while Clipchamp is set to introduce a Silence Removal AI tool for editing videos.

Also Read: Getting Started With Google Gemini: A Beginner’s Guide

These Copilot and AI enhancements will be gradually rolled out to users with Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2. To access these updates, Microsoft advises users to enable the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option. Most features are expected to be accessible with the optional March 2024 non-security preview update.

Related Topics:Artificial Intelligence Microsoft Windows 11

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YouTube Rolls Out Supervised Children’s Accounts Across MENA

An industry-first feed timer lets parents cap Shorts scrolling. Access can also be switched off entirely ahead of exam season.

Published

12 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Dana Saadeh

YouTube

YouTube has launched supervised kid accounts across the Middle East and North Africa, giving parents a way to hand their children the main YouTube app without handing over all of it. Announced in Dubai on July 2, the accounts are built directly into the platform rather than the standalone YouTube Kids app, and are aimed at families who feel a child has outgrown the curated library but isn’t ready for the open feed.

Parents can choose from three content settings, each broadly aligned with international content ratings. Explore covers educational videos, tutorials, arts and crafts, and dance. Explore More adds gaming and live streams. Most of YouTube opens up almost everything except videos rated 18+ or deemed inappropriate for supervised accounts.

The standout tool is an industry-first Shorts feed timer, which lets parents set daily limits on short-form scrolling. Set it to zero and Shorts disappears altogether – a lever YouTube suggests parents might pull ahead of exam season. Other protections are on by default for all users under 18: “Take a Break” and “Bedtime” reminders, no personalized ad targeting, autoplay switched off, and no ability to upload videos or write comments. The accounts are optional, and parents can end supervision at any time.

The kid accounts join supervised teen accounts already available across the region, which notify parents by email when a teenager uploads a video or starts a live stream.

“YouTube has been a huge part of families’ lives across this region for over 20 years,” said Javid Aslanov, head of YouTube Middle East and North Africa, citing Kantar research showing 95% of viewers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE agree YouTube has top content in education and learning.

Also Read: Tamper With The Recording LED & Meta’s Glasses Kill Camera

“It’s essential that we protect young people in – not from – the digital world,” added Garth Graham, YouTube’s head of health.

The new settings are rolling out gradually across the MENA, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Iraq. The latest features can be set up through Family Center in the YouTube app or via Google Family Link.